Tech entrepreneur and Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has officially qualified for the next Democratic debate to be held in Houston, Texas, in September.
Yang qualified after polling at 2% in a Monmouth University poll in Iowa Thursday, marking the completion of both Democratic National Committee threshold requirements for the September debate stage.
We did it – poll #4! Thank you #YangGang – it is on to Houston and the Fall debates!! Special thank you to all who have been spreading the word. Let’s make history together! 👍😀🥊🇺🇸 https://t.co/WyYbnqWRil
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) August 8, 2019
To qualify for the next round of primary debates, candidates must have at least 2% support in four polls approved by the DNC, in addition to showing 130,000 unique donors that include 400 donors across 20 different states.
As of now, Yang will join eight other candidates for the prime time event in Houston, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas.
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard have both met the donor threshold but have yet to poll high enough to earn them a spot in Houston.
Other candidates also benefitted from the Monmouth poll that pushed Yang over the finish line for the September debate. Billionaire Tom Steyer and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand polled at 3% and 2%, respectively, moving each candidate one poll closer to the four polls needed to get on the next debate stage.
Candidates have until Aug. 28 to meet the DNC’s requirements. If fewer than 10 candidates make the cut, the debate will be a one-night event on Sept. 12.
Those who qualify for the September debate will automatically qualify for the next round of debates slated for October. Candidates who do not qualify for the September debate stage will have more time to meet the DNC’s set requirements to qualify for the debates in October.
